Step 3: Breeding Stock

Step 3: Breeding Stock

I went through two sets of breeders my first year. I had no experience with choosing rabbits.

I bought them from sellers on craigslist, I bought them from sellers hours away and from poultry swaps. My advice is to go where there are more reputable breeders. Don't go too far from home, its a waste of gas.

Decide on a breed. The many books on raising rabbits are a great source of information on meat ratios and fur types.

Don't get sold on the fur dreams however. In most cases there wont be enough to make it worth while. The chemicals are caustic, the process is smelly and long, and not worth it if it cannot be done professionally. That's my opinion.

My first batch were two males and a female, I was assured one of the males was female by the seller. Once I put them in the pen I had made though, I quickly realized my mistake.

A $25 dollar mistake. I ended up sending one of them to the stew pot. Having two males around is nothing but trouble.

They stamp around and piss on everything including each other. Since I had wanted at least two females I traveled out to breeder almost two hours from my house.

I was again sold a male and also a female. This time my mistake cost gas, my time, and $40. It was a nightmare. the breeder promise to send the pedigree papers, they never came. I was at the end of my rope by the beginning of my second year.

When looking for breeding stock look at the posture of the rabbits. They should be well proportioned not hunched or weirdly long.

Look for features that are desirable like bright eyes perky ears and good muscles. Depending on the coat it can be very easy to see what the loin looks like and that can bee a good indicator.

Females should had a nice neck, they have kind of a puffy snood deal going on. They should be alert and assertive but not mean and certainly not overly excited.

Good temperament is everything in a doe. Successful breeding, kindling, and raising of the kits all depend on their instinct and attitude

Learning to sex rabbits is important.

Save time and energy by watching some youtube videos about proper sexing. When I bought my current batch from a poultry swap I requested that the breeders sex them for me, so that I could be sure.

Only breeders that are trying to hide something will be offended by this request. Knowing how to sex them will come in handy when its time to separate the young so they don't begin breeding.

Males or bucks should be big, healthy, alert and a little aggressive. Not aggressive in demeanor, but during breeding.

The chasing and mounting and a little hair pulling is ok, but outright meanness is never a good trait. Keep in mind the size of the doe when picking a buck. Big kits can cause complications for new or small mothers.

source: instructables.com